


Take Me As I Am

by quiet_cat



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Graphic violence in later chapters, Heart-to-Hearts, Homelessness, Loki likes Parks, Love, M/M, Mentions of Beatings, Mentions of homophobia, Places in NYC, Question Game, Romance, Slow Burn, mentions of bullying
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-25
Updated: 2016-02-18
Packaged: 2018-01-21 20:47:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1563527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quiet_cat/pseuds/quiet_cat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When they met, he was a nobody. Not in the sense that he had no friends, although that was true enough, but in the sense that he was not much more than the space he took up in the homeless shelter. So, really, it was no surprise that he never could have imagined that in a few short months he would become someone's whole world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Nobody and a Somebody

When they met, he was a nobody. Not in the sense that he had no friends, although that was true enough, but in the sense that he was not much more than the space he took up in the homeless shelter. All he had to his name was the clothes on his back, a rather nice brown winter jacket, two pairs of sneakers, and a large blue sleeping bag. At some point in his life he could have laid claim to his good looks, his charm, and his skills for manipulation, but it was nearly impossible to use these things to his advantage now. His hair was too long, and too knotted. He had not had a proper shower in what felt like decades, though he was barely twenty five years old. The man could only imagine the way he must have smelled, as he had long since grown used to the scent of despair, sweat, blood and grime. 

When his appearance faded into what it was now, his charm went with it. He could still talk his way out of messy situations, but he had a very hard time charming his way into homes, or beds, when he could not even get people to stand near him for more than a few seconds. That cut down the money that he was able to make. Without being able to sell his body, the only way he could make anything, besides by helping around the shelter, was stealing. That wasn't overly difficult, far from it, in fact. He had spent many years doing things of that sort, and it was easy to go unnoticed when he was lifting the wallets or purses. It was, however, very difficult to go unnoticed once he had brought the money back to the shelter. Too many times he had experienced people finding it and beating him until they could pry the money from his hands. He wasn't weak, he still had the same lean muscles as he always had, but he could not procure the energy to truly fight back over something as trivial as twenty or thirty dollars. 

When they met, it was a clear Thursday night in March. The winter was mostly over, which was surprising given that the snow usually hung around much long than anyone ever wanted it to. This did not mean, however, that it was warm out yet. The spring was still chilly enough that he had no choice but to spend his nights in the shelter. He liked summers the best because it was the only time of year where he could spend days without returning to the shelter. Despite being a bit too cold for his liking, that night was particularly nice. The sun had just set, and the little stars that were visible in the ever shining lights of New York City had come out to play. The man was walking toward the fountain in the middle of the park, his favorite place to be at nighttime. His green eyes were cast downward, following his feet as he walked the familiar path. However, something fairly uncommon was to happen that night. For the first time, he collided with another person. Usually those around him gave him a wide berth, partially because he truly looked homeless, and partially because he still gave off an air of distaste for others.

For whatever the reason, this person had not noticed. When the two of them crashed into one another, the man was acutely aware of how much shorter the other person was, and how much cleaner. A strong scent of expensive after-shave and shampoo met his nostrils. He pulled himself away from the other person as quickly as he could, offering up a mumbled apology. Without meaning to, his eyes flicked to the person he had hit. The other man was gorgeous, his eyes were a deep brown that could only be compared to what the constellations must have been made up of. His hair was short, but shaggy enough to give him a soft look despite the sharp edged facial hair that he sported. If he wouldn't have been such a mess himself, he could have asked this man to share a bed with him. 

"Hey, buddy, next time you should watch wh-" The other man stopped when he gazed up at the other, "Holy shit."

He was suddenly very aware of the way he looked, and he reached up and ran a hand through his filthy hair. He didn't know what he looked like to this man, he didn’t even know what to say next. 

Strangely enough, the other man spoke again, "What is your name?"

He felt oddly uncomfortable by the intensity in the question, but answered it any way, "My name is Loki."

The brown haired man raised an eyebrow at that, "Loki? Where does that name come from? And is it just Loki? No last name? Are you Just Loki, Loki?"

The man blinked at this stranger, lost in his questions, "It is of Norse origins, and yes. It is just Loki."

"Well, Just Loki, I am Anthony Stark, but Tony is good too."

A light bulb went off dimly in Loki's mind as Tony told him his name. He had heard it somewhere else before, perhaps many times, but he could not pinpoint where it had been and why. "Pleasure, I am sure. Now, if you do not mind I will take my leave and allow you to continue on with you night."

Loki tried to step around the other man, but Tony stepped in front of him again, "You speak very well for someone who doesn't seem to know what a shower is. Or who I am, for that matter."

"I have not lived on the streets my entire life, Anthony Stark." Loki snorted, trying to find a path where he could get away from this odd man.

"So I would assume you do know how to use a shower, you just haven't the ability to use one."

Loki furrowed his eyebrows, looking at Tony he sighed, "What is it you want, Anthony Stark? Are you attempting to convince me to find a shower or are you offering your own? In which case I would have to decline."

"I just want to talk to you." Tony shrugged, "I've never meet someone like you before."

Loki's nostrils flared, "Like me? Do you mean poor? Or homeless? Not everyone has the ability to afford whatever it is that they want, and certainly we have not all been taught how to survive in a way that we would be able to prosper as you, yourself has. If you would kindly step aside I will be leaving now."

"No, no!" Tony started, gripping onto Loki's forearm as he attempted to step around him again, "That isn't what I meant. It's just, you're interesting. Beautiful, even."

"What?" Loki stopped in his tracks, looking at the other man in a very confused fashion. 

Tony laughed awkwardly, "Look, I know that sounds creepy, but just talk to me for a bit, okay? Then you can go."

Loki was not sure why he nodded to the shorter man. There seemed to be no reason for him to do so, he would not be gaining anything out of this conversation, so why would he even bother to cater to this stranger's whim?

The two of them sat down on a bench under one of the more full trees in the park. It was rather empty, surprisingly. Usually the place was a bustle at night time with young couples trying to have a romantic evening, or drug pushers and addicts trying to make a deal. However, tonight it was quiet, peaceful, and almost comfortable. "Would you like to play a game with me, Loki?"

"It depends on what this game entails." Loki replied, glancing at the stranger to his right.

The man chuckled, a hearty, joyous sound, "Nothing sexual, unless you make it that way. It's simple, really. I ask you a question, and you answer honestly. Then you ask me a question and I have to answer honestly. When we come to a question that one of us refuses to answer, then the game is over."

Loki turned the thought over in his mind, it was an interesting proposal, and yet he wondered what the information could be used for. What was the point of it? What would the man ask, and what could he do with it? There was much that Loki would like to keep hidden, but he figured that it was very unlikely that he would ever see this man again after this night. It was a large city after all. "Alright, Anthony Stark. I will play your game."

"Brilliant. I will go first then." Tony flashed the other man a smile, "How old are you?"

"I am twenty five as of two weeks ago." Loki replied, "How old are you?"

"I am thirty one, and happy late birthday."

Loki arched an eyebrow, "Thank you. It is your turn."

Tony smiled, and looked toward the sky, "How long have you been homeless?"

Sighing softly, the black haired man shrugged, "About five years. How long have you been grossly wealthy?"

Tony laughed loudly, "Grossly? It's much more awesome than it is gross, but I would say since I was conceived."

"Born into it then? I was as well, before this happened, of course."

"And what is this? Being homeless? What happened?" Tony questioned.

Loki smiled, but there was no joy behind the motion, "I was a disgrace to my father. I was nothing like the golden child my elder brother was. He wanted me to be something that he could mold, and shape. He did not want an unruly, mischievous, and manipulative boy turned man. I was not meant to be controlled, and he knew it. My father cast me out, despite the protests of my mother, and since I have been living here." 

"Your dad sounds like a dick." Tony offered in response to this.

"I would be inclined to agree." Loki leaned back into the bench a little, some of the discomfort leaving his body, "Why did you want me to stay and speak to you? Why not just walk away?"

The other man turned his head back to Loki, an awkward smile pulling at his lips, "Honestly? I was angry when we bumped into each other but when I looked up and saw those green eyes of yours and I was like, 'Damn. This guy is gorgeous' which I still think even though you reek to high heaven."

Loki let out a humorless laugh at that, "I assume that I do."

"Well at least you know it." Tony replied with a chuckle, "Do you really not know who I am?"

"Your name is one that I have heard before, but I do not remember where it was. I do not really have the chance to follow the news, or anything of that sort with my current living situation." Loki paused for a moment, then continued, "Why are you in the park if you are so apparently recognizable?"

"Well, even us famous people need to get out of the house sometimes."

The other man moved slightly closer to Loki, and the black haired man assumed that he was trying to be subtle, so he did not mention it, "I am sure. What is your next question?"

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Tony asked, moving his hand in a fashion that Loki was able to understand that he was talking about their little question game.

"I suppose so. It has been awhile since I have had any positive human interaction." Loki glanced over at the other man, to find that Tony was also looking back at him. The taller of the two held the others gaze for a long moment before turning away, "Do you often talk with homeless people you meet?"

"No. Only if they are as attractive as you." Tony flirted jokingly. 

Loki rolled his eyes, "You should be careful with that. What if I was actually a murderer? You would be dead by now, Anthony Stark."

"I'm not as easy to kill as you may believe." Tony replied with a strange tone marring his otherwise smooth voice. Before Loki could question it, Tony had glanced down at an expensive looking watch, then back up at the man beside him, "Could we make this a regular thing?"

The black haired man was quiet for a moment before asking his own question, "This odd question game of yours?"

"Yes."

Loki thought for a moment then looked at Tony, a snarky sort of smile on his lips, "If you can find me."

"Oh?" Tony raised an eyebrow, "If I can find you?"

"Yes." Loki nodded, "I will wait for you somewhere in this park each Thursday at the time that we bumped into one another. You must find where I am. If you can succeed in doing so we can continue your game."

"I've always liked a challenge." Tony replied, a smile on his face.

Loki laughed very softly, "In that case I suppose I will see you next week then?"

"Yes." The shorter of the two replied, "I should be getting back. I'm sure there are some people looking for me by now."

"Then on your way you go, Anthony Stark." Loki gestured for the man to leave.

Tony stood and did a full body stretch before turning back to the other man, "You can call me Tony, you know."

"We will see if that ever happens." Loki replied, as the other man began to walk away.

"I'm sure we will!" Tony called back over his shoulder.

Loki watched the man's back as he walked on. He turned the events of this night over in his mind, wondering if Tony would actually show up and attempt to find him again next Thursday. Loki supposed that he would wait in this same spot on that day, just to see if he had been serious. If he had been, then he would make finding him truly challenging. For now though, he had to sure that the still sort-of stranger was not playing him for a fool.

"We will see." Loki mumbled softly under his breath, "We will see."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I am reworking this story and will now be updating (I PROMISE) so please feel free to re-read the first four chapters as they have been redone.


	2. Honesty Looks Good on You

The second Thursday that they met was not nearly as nice as the first. The weather was horribly strange given that it was only mid-March. It was oddly humid out, and Loki's hair was frizzy and ridiculous. The fact that he looked the way he did made him angry. He had bought someone else's shower time with the fifty dollars that he had lifted during the week. Loki had actually made a valiant effort to appear, and smell, better than he did the last time they had meet. Which, of course, was pointless. The stranger was very unlikely to show up again. It was very likely that Anthony had already forgotten about him. Loki knew that he was not someone who would usually be remembered, especially during these days. He was nothing like who he once was. Even if Tony remembered him, why would he go out of his way to come and meet him? Especially as he had told the other man that he would make finding him a challenge. 

Why was it that Loki even cared? He had always hated human interaction. He was better off on his own, wasn't he? In the end, he would somehow get screwed over. Interacting with others always led to some sort of poor outcome. It was very unlikely that Anthony did not want something from him that he was not simply trying to gain some sort of information or leverage. Loki sighed and glanced up at the sky. It was getting late, and the time that they had meet had already passed. Oddly disappointed, Loki moved to stand.

"Leaving so soon? I'm not even that late."

Loki looked toward the voice, and arched an eyebrow, "I did not believe that you would actually show up."

Tony smiled, taking a seat beside Loki, "Of course I would. I just thought that you were going to make finding you a challenge. This is not what I was expecting."

"I thought I would make the first time easy for you."

"Aren't you kind?" Tony leaned back against the bench and looked at Loki for a moment, "I have to say, you do look better this week, as opposed to last."

Self-consciously, Loki ran a hand over his frizzy hair and frowned, "The weather has never been my friend, Anthony Stark. There is no need to tease me."

"I'm not though!" Tony smiled a little wider, "You really do look good."

With a snort, Loki looked away from the other man and up at the darkening sky. "Go on. Time for the question game."

"Excited, aren't we? Okay. What have you been up to this week?"

Loki shrugged, "Well, I've spent the majority of it in the park, where I may or may not have procured currency illegally. I also went back to the shelter and had the longest shower that I have had in the past five years, even though it only lasted about fifteen minutes. Other than that I have not done anything this week."

"That sounds very exciting." Tony replied, his eyes still on Loki's profile, "Ask your question."

After a moment of thought, Loki spoke, "What are your intentions behind these little meetings?"

"I don't really have any. I just want to talk with you." The answer sounded honest, and yet Loki still had doubts. He nodded to the man anyway, who then continued, "Why did you agree if you're suspicious of me?"

Loki had to think about that for a moment. He knew that if he simply answered that he did not know, Tony would never accept it. The problem was, he really was not sure. He had a few theories, of course, but he was unsure which of them the strongest one was. After a bit of thought, Loki offered his answer, "I have not had any positive interaction with others in a long time. Even before I was homeless I had very few friends, and the ones that I did have were not truly 'friends.' Had I been in any sort of trouble, they would turn their backs on me without a second thought. They only put up with me because they cared for my brother. Like I have stated before, I am far from the ideal child, friend, or sibling. I am often rude, cruel, and all around unlikable. Despite this, you seem to be interested in hearing what I have to say, and for that reason I made the decision that speaking to you would not be the worst thing for me."

Tony answered this with a long silence. It was not uncomfortable, or at least it was not for Loki. There was no awkwardness in the air, simply a quiet awe in what Loki had stated. Tony let the silence last another few moments before speaking, "Well, I can tell you now that I am not a joy either. I'm too sassy and inappropriate for my own good. I can hardly keep friendships or relationships because I have a knack for being a huge asshole. I prefer machines to people, and have a hard time finding someone who can even come close to keeping up with my rapidly shifting thoughts. That's why I found you interesting. When we had first bumped into one another, every question I asked you had some sort of retort. Not to mention that you were completely prepared to take me on when you thought that I was saying something against you."

"I may not have much, but I still have the pride that I have always had. Even if someone else is correct in what they are saying, I will fight it every time."

Tony laughed, "You sound a lot like me. Honestly, I'm probably going to piss you off, I do it to everyone. However, you'll always know my intentions. I don't keep shit hidden, it's not me. If I didn't find you interesting, I wouldn't be here."

It was far from saying something kind, but to Loki, it was a good thing to hear. Too many times others had hidden their intentions and lied to him about why they were around. Tony seemed different, however. If he lost interest in what Loki had to say, he would leave. That was refreshing in the very least. "I believe it is my turn, yes? Do you have any siblings?"

"No. Thank god." Tony was watching him again, "I can't even image how awful it would have been to grow up with a sibling. It was enough of a challenge to get my parents attention, and it would have been even worse had I had a sibling. Tell me about your brother?"

Loki frowned, "There isn't much to say. He is much more brawn than brain. While we were in school he was always the most popular, the jock. Father was proud of him, even though he only pulled C's at best. He's rather impulsive, I doubt there has ever been a time where he thought things through. He is outrageously stubborn, and refuses to use his head instead of his heart."

"Sounds like the kind of guy that I would be unable to get along with." Tony replied, "I went to MIT at fourteen, and it was guys like that who always beat the crap out of me."

"You were very young when you went to college," Loki responded, glancing over at the man beside him, "How often did you have to experience bullying then?"

There was no joy in the smile that Tony now wore, "Every day. It was more than just words though. I could handle being called a nerd or a freak or a loser with no life. That sort of thing was no problem. I was fourteen years old and more intelligent than any one of those guys would ever be. They hated me for that, and I loved it. They were never competition in classes, I left them all in the dust. It was the physical abuse that really messed me up. I guess that even when you are fourteen, you are seen as an adult in college. Some of these guys were twice my age and had no qualms about shoving me into lockers or gracing me with a black eye. I probably broke more bones while in college than I did when I nearly died in a car accident. I never told anyone who did it though. It might have been hell, but I knew it would only get worse if I told." Tony laughed, it was a dark sound that Loki was unused to hearing from the usually bubbly man, "And besides, it reminded me of home."

Loki was dead silent for at least five minutes as he processed the last few words that Tony had added in. Being beaten reminded him of home? What sort of hell had Anthony gone through? Was it anything like the life he had been forced to endure as a child?

Loki wanted more information, but he knew it was no longer his turn to question. "Are you going to ask me something now?"

"Yes. This is the last question though. I have to head back soon." Tony thought for a minute and the asked, "What is your favorite food?"

"I'm not really sure." Loki frowned at the question, "It has been a long time since I ate anything that actually resembled food. I think that it would probably be something warm. I like simple things, especially tea. Okay, I believe that my favorite food would most likely be a warm croissant sandwich, with egg and cheese with a large glass of earl grey tea and a splash of milk."

Tony quirked a brow at this, not exactly what he was expecting. Loki had said that he had come from money, so the man assumed that he would say something expensive and hard to get. What he had claimed to be his favorite was, however, was no more than a cheap peasant dish to the wealthy. "Alright then."

"Alright." Loki replied, tilting his head expectantly. 

"Oh. Yeah. I'm going." Tony stood up and stretched before heading off the same way that he had gone the last time they met.

Against his better judgment, Loki called out, "Have fun attempting to find me next week."

The black haired man heard a bright laugh come from the direction that Anthony was walking, "Oh I will!" 


	3. A Better World

"Really?" Tony questioned, craning his neck back so he could see all of Loki, a bag in his right hand, and a cup tray in the other.

Loki gazed down at the other man apathetically, swinging his leg back and forth, "It took you nearly half an hour to find me, I must say, I expected better."

"You're in a damn tree!"

The black haired man leaned back against the trunk of the tree, one leg stretched out in front of him along a rather thick tree branch and the other hanging off the side, "Yes. I am."

Tony sighed, feigning annoyance, "Why are you in a tree?"

"Why are you not?" Loki replied with a smirk.

After a few moments of silence, Tony responded, a grin on his face, "I'm not sure, but I can fix it. Here." Tony tossed the bag up at Loki, and held the tray out up to him. Loki reached down and grabbed it, watching as Tony found a foothold on the trunk of the tree. To say that Loki was surprised to have Stark haul himself up into the tree and sit on the branch just opposite him was an understatement. Tony was dressed much more causally today than he had been the previous two weeks, but hardly causally enough that he should be climbing around in trees. "You will ruin your clothing."

"By what? Sap? It washes out." Tony smiled, his eyes gliding over Loki's features, making him feel self-conscious all over again.

"What is in the bag?" Loki questioned, extending his arm so Tony could grab hold of the drink tray.

Instead of grabbing the whole tray, Tony simply pulled one of the large Styrofoam cups out of the holder. "It's for you. Earl grey tea with milk, and a sandwich, just how you like it."

Loki was quiet for a long moment before he settled the cup holder on his thigh and cracked open the bag. The warmth from the food inside reached his cheeks and Loki's mouth watered slightly at the smell that met his nostrils. It had been far too long since he had the chance to have a warm meal like this, "Anthony... Why did you-"

"Oh be quiet." Tony cut in before Loki could finish, "I wanted to bring you something nice."

After a long moment of silence, Loki finally murmured, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Tony grinned as Loki dug into the food he had been given. If it had been anyone else, Loki would never have eaten in front of them. However, Loki knew that he was not going to be judged for eating the meal that Tony had brought him. 

Loki meant to eat slowly, and to savor the taste and warmth, but he was unable to once he took the first bite. He had not realized how long it had been not only since he had nice food that was actually fresh. After eating the sandwich, Loki took a long pull on the tea, the liquid burned his tongue, but he appreciated the taste too much to worry about something so trivial. 

"You must stop examining me every time we meet, Stark." Loki frowned, finally glancing up at the other man, after he had finished his food and wiped his hands on the napkin, "It is uncomforting."

"Why is that?" 

Loki almost answered, but then shook his head, "I believe that you asked the last question when we were last together. It is my turn now."

Tony groaned, shifting on the branch to find a more comfortable position, "I climb up into a damn tree for you, bring you some delicious food, and yet you still won't let me ask a question first. How unfair."

"Life is unfair, Anthony Stark." Loki's tone was serious, but there was humor in his eyes, "Have you told anyone about me or our meetings?"

"Is that two questions?"

With a sigh, Loki rolled his eyes, "No. It is one, if it had been two you would have heard a longer pause."

Tony made a face at Loki then spoke again, "Well, not exactly. I haven't used your name, but my assistant knows I have been meeting someone here every week. She knows vague details about you but nothing very concrete. She is with me most of the time, so she noticed my disappearances much more quickly than anyone else. Before you ask, no, it's not because I'm embarrassed to be talking to you, it's because I want to keep what we are doing as private as possible. I don't really want someone finding out and ruining my ability to come and meet you. I also doubt you really want to be all over the tabloids."

"How considerate of you." The black haired man looked over at a couple walking along the sidewalk before taking a drink of the tea in his hands, "You are correct, however."

"Of course I am. Why do you get so uncomfortable when I stare at you?"

Loki could not help but roll his eyes, "There was once a time where I was very used to staring. I was very attractive, and I do not say that to sound vain, I am just stating a fact. I knew that when others were to stare at me they did so because of my looks, or because of the power my family held. Now, when people stare they are judging me. They see only the filth caked onto my clothing and body."

Tony replied with a soft, reassuring tone, "I see more than that, you know."

A part of Loki wanted to reply, I do know that, but another side of him wondered if the words were actually true. By no means was Anthony claiming that he did not look of filth and poverty, but he was saying that he saw more in Loki than those things. Was that actually true, or was Anthony simply saying that to make him feel better? After a long moment the man finally replied, "If you say so."

"I do. Remember, I told you that I would never bullshit you about my thoughts or feelings."

A small smile tugged at the corner of Loki's mouth, "Of course I remember, Stark. Who is your assistant to you?"

Tony arched an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"You said that she is with you most of the time, which would lead one to wonder if she is more than just your assistant."

The other man was became so quiet that Loki shot a glance at him almost worryingly, he was about to say something before Anthony finally spoke, "No. Not anymore. We're very close, hell, half the time I think she's the one running the company, and she probably is, but we are not more than friends. We tried that for a time, but like I have said before, I have a knack for messing things up. I'm a douche bag, and not nearly good enough for her. She knew it too." Stark laughed softly, his voice tinged with a sort of soft pain, "Damn woman is more intelligent than I am, I swear."

Loki let out a breath he was not aware that he had even been holding, an odd feeling of relief washing over his body. "You speak of her fondly. Did you love her?"

"Good try. It's my turn to ask a question." Tony flashed him a smile, "Do you have a girlfriend?"

Loki barked out a laugh, "Did you forget my living situation? I am not in the position to have a significant other. Besides," Loki paused for a moment, "Women are not my preference."

"No?" Tony tilted his head, looking at the other man in the quickly fading light, "You could have been one hell of a lady killer. I bet they were crawling all over you."

"That is not far from the truth. It's not to say that I have never dated, or been with women, I simply happen to prefer men to them. I have always had a hard time finding a woman who could be a rough as I wanted."

Tony was quiet for a long moment before he cleared his throat loudly, "I was not expecting to hear that from you. Actually, no. I can expect that you would enjoy it like that. I just did not believe that you would say something like that out loud. You don't seem the type to say that to someone. I mean, I think that you seem more private than that. Oh god, I am rambling aren’t I?"

Loki was chuckling softly, "I did not believe that you would become flustered so easily, Anthony Stark."

"Oh shut up." Tony was looking away from Loki now, an awkward laugh coming from his lips. 

"I will save you from your embarrassment, it is my turn to ask a question after all." Loki shifted on his tree branch, taking a drink of the now cold tea, "What did you want to be when you were young?"

Tony grinned, "That's easy. The president."

"The president?" Loki replied incredulously.

"Hell yeah! I wanted to be able to be the hero of a country, to say yes and no to things and have no one that could oppose me. Obviously that is not how it works, but I believed it at the time. I think I may have just wanted to rule the world."

Loki sighed, "Well, I have to say that I am glad that one did not pan out."

The other man replied with a soft laugh before he leaned back against the tree, "Yeah. I am too. I would have set the world ablaze by now."

"I believe it." 

The two sat quietly for a few long moments, simply enjoying the sounds around them. They were deep enough within the park that they could hear the sounds of birds, frogs, and insects over the sound of car horns and people. Though they were separated by a few feet of space, Loki could not help but think that he felt intimately close to the other man. It had been years since anyone had known so much about him, and even longer since he had joked with another person freely. He had to admit that it was nice.

"Do you think there is something out there? You know, life on other planets?"

"Hm," Loki arched an eyebrow, "I did not peg you to be the type to believe in such things, but yes. I do. How can there not be? There is so much we do not know, so much space yet to be explored. I am sure there is more of it than we could ever even begin to fathom."

"I never really gave it much thought before, but there has to be. Somewhere there has to be a planet that has gotten this life thing right."

The black haired man nodded slowly, "A place without poverty, murder, and disease? Somewhere that has not been corrupted by greed and power? It sounds as if from a fairytale."

Tony laughed softly, "Sometimes fairytales come true."

"And usually they do not." Loki reminded, his tone serious.

Tony shifted on his branch, and just as Loki looked over at him, jumped to the ground. "I have to be going now, Loki."

"I will see you next week?"

"Of course you will." Tony smiled, his voice kind, "Try to stay out of trouble."

Loki made a soft noise that sounded almost like a laugh, "No promises, Anthony Stark."

Tony walked away in silence, and Loki let him go. This time however, he did not watch the man's back as he retreated. Instead, he gazed up at the sky, the tea cup heavy in his hands, wondering if perhaps there was a better world out there, and what he did to get himself trapped on this one.  


	4. Similarities

Loki had been feeling rather poorly the whole week. He was unsure of whether or not he actually wanted to uphold his usual meeting with Anthony. This meeting would be their fourth one, marking a month that they had been talking. It was the longest, in recent years, amount of time he had held a sort of friendship with anyone. There were people that he spoke to at the shelter, but none of them knew him the way Stark did, some did not even know his name, nor had they heard him speak. This was why he decided that despite his negative mood, he would still attend their little meeting.

Loki kept himself in plain view this time, opting to sit in the grass just off of one of the main paths near a small pond. It was calm on this evening, and Loki allowed himself to quietly mediate while he waited. There were few people walking around in this section of the park, and he felt much more comfortable now that he was here. The depressive cloud that had hung over him during the earlier days of the week lifted ever so slightly as he sat.

"Don't you look the picture of serenity today," Anthony spoke from Loki's left.

The man offered his companion a small smile as he sat beside him, but did not open his eyes, "It has been quite a long week. I believe that I needed some time to relax."

"I get that. My week hasn't been the greatest either."

Loki arched a brow as something bumped against his left knee. He opened his eyes and looked over to see Tony holding out a large Starbucks cup to him. "What is this?"

"Oh please. You know what it is." Tony rolled his eyes, but there was a smile on his face.

"Thank you." Loki replied, taking the cup and cradling it in his hands. Though Tony had done this last week, it was still strange to be given something and have it not be born from pity.

Tony smiled at him for a beat longer, then spoke, "So I get to ask a question first right? Cause technically you did ask that last one last week. You know, when you asked about seeing me this week."

Loki frowned at him, but his eyes were amused, "If you must."

"What about your week was difficult?"

The man considered giving him a snappy reply, something to the affect that he was homeless, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. "I have always had problems with balancing my mood. I suppose the clinical term would be that I have major depression and anxiety. However, if you were to ask my father, he would tell you that I am just an attention seeker."

Now it was Tony's turn to frown at the tone of Loki's voice, "Those disorders are quite real and completely out of one's control, you know that, right? It's all about the chemicals in your brain. It has nothing to do with you wanting attention or not."

Loki looked over at his companion, obvious surprise on his features, "I would not have pegged you for one to understand such things."

"Not many would." Tony began, then hesitated before adding, "However, not many people know that I suffer from anxiety and panic disorders."

"Really?" Loki was definitely surprised now. It was not that he did not believe the other man, it was just Tony hid the problem so well.

"Yeah. I was in therapy for a little while. It didn't help much, I had a hard time really letting my walls down for someone I barely knew."

Loki smiled, though it didn't match his eyes, "Is that not what we are doing now?"

Anthony shook his head, "No. This is different. Partially because you have no idea who I am, and partially because I know that you won't judge me."

Loki almost asked him how he knew that, but then he took stock of his own situation, and supposed that what Tony said did make sense. Even if he did not have experience with such things, Loki would have no right to pass judgement on this man. "Perhaps I won't judge you for that, but I may still judge you for your state of dress. Is that supposed to be casual?"

A smile tugged at Tony's lips as he looked down at himself, "What? What's wrong with jeans and a t-shirt?"

"You obviously have money, and usually your sense of fashion is much better than this. Honestly, seeing you in grease stained jeans and a ratty shirt is quite an odd sensation."

"Well, I spent most of my day today in my lab, and if you wear nicer clothes there then they will get destroyed. Except Pepper, she can wear a dress and heels while in there and she'll still leave looking gorgeous."

"Pepper is your assistant?"

Tony arched a brow, "Is that your question?"

Loki frowned at Stark, his brow creasing slightly, "No."

With a laugh, Tony nodded, "Yes. Her name is Pepper. Go ahead and ask your real question."

"Would you rather win a free trip, or money?"

Tony arched an eyebrow, "Is this assuming I'm not fabulously wealthy?"

"Obviously."

"Well..." Tony paused for a moment, "I suppose it would really depend on the situation. I mean, money would be helpful if I was having a hard time paying rent, or getting groceries. I suppose, if I had enough money to sustain an average lifestyle, I would want to win the trip. I value experiences more than money. I mean, I might not seem the type but I really do appreciate other cultures. There isn't a whole lot that is cooler than seeing the way people in different parts of the world live and act."

There was a slight smile on Loki's face, and he couldn't help but be pleased with the answer. The man that he was getting to know really was different from the person he first met when they bumped into one another. It made him somewhat sad to know that very few people knew what the real Anthony Stark was like, but it also thrilled him because it meant that even though he had nothing, he had this. "I would have to agree with you."

"If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?"

"I would love to go home again. Not with my family, but back to Europe. I was born in Iceland, and lived there until I turned fifteen. I am sure you noticed the accent. It really is a beautiful country."

Tony nodded, "I've seen pictures. It's not one of the places I have actually been, but I would like to go someday. If I do, I'll take you with. You can show me the sights."

Part of Loki felt as if Tony was teasing him, but there was a look in the other man's eyes that made Loki reconsider. "Perhaps. What is your most treasured memory?"

"You know, even with all the material things I have, I haven't really got any good memories." He paused for a moment, "I guess the best one I have was when I was young, almost five, and my mother took me see a musical, Les Miserables. My dad didn't want to go, he wasn't the type to enjoy that sort of thing, so she brought me along. Everyone looked so irritated when we walked in. They must have thought I was too young to be there, that I would complain or make too much noise. Anyway, I was totally quiet, the whole thing was really surreal for me. I loved it. I remember holding my mother's hand and wiping away her tears at the end. She told me that someday, I would become a great man, and whoever I loved would be very lucky to have me. She wasn't one for big displays of emotion like that, and she died a year later. Even though she was wrong, I still think about it when I'm down."

Loki sat quietly after Tony had told his story. He didn't know what to say to those words. Tony was continuing to surprise him more and more, and he was truly starting to wonder why the mask he wore was better liked than the man who sat beside him.

Tony cleared his throat after a moment or two, then spoke, "My turn now? If you could change the past, would you?"

"No." The promptness of his answer seemed to surprise both of them.

"Why not?"

Loki shook his head, smiling slightly, "You already got your question. Now it's my turn. What is your most bizarre pet peeve?"

Tony arched a brow at the dramatic change in topic, though he assumed that Loki wanted to lighten the mood after his last question, "When people wear socks to bed. It's so gross. I don't want your nasty, dirty socks on my clean sheets, or on my legs. I mean, seriously, they're usually like wet and sweaty and just..." Tony threw his hands up, a disgusted look on his face.

A soft laugh left the dark haired man's lips, "You must feel very passionate about this."

"I do! I had this girlfriend who claimed she had to wear them because of bad circulation, or whatever, and it drove me crazy! It was honestly why I broke up with her. I just couldn't deal with it. Do you have any idea what it's like to have sex with someone while they are wearing socks? It is nasty!"

Loki was laughing much more loudly now, his hand covering his mouth as he did so. It had been a long time since he had felt like this, and it was especially nice after the rough week he had had, "You should start a campaign against it."

"I will!" Tony exclaimed, "We'll form a club, we can have buttons and matching shirts."

"How do you know that I want to join? Maybe I wear socks to bed."

The look Tony gave him was pure horror, "No. Don't you dare say that. I will have to end this friendship. I can't be friends with you if you do that."

Loki's smile slowly slipped off his face, "Is that what we are? Friends?"

Tony considered him for a moment, and Loki wondered if perhaps he would not answer because it was not his turn to be asked a question, but after a moment, he replied, "If that's okay with you."

For the second time that evening, Loki was at a loss for words. It wasn't because he had doubts, it was because he had a burning desire to be friends with Tony. He had never really wanted a companionship before, but now he couldn't imagine a week where he didn't see Tony, and didn't play this ridiculous game. They had barely known one another a month, and Loki couldn't help but feel as if he was too invested in this relationship. He also couldn't help but not care that it may be a disadvantage for him. "Yes. I would like that."

Anthony smiled at him then looked away, glancing up at the sky, "I have to get going, Lokes. It's a lot later than I realized."

Loki looked around and was surprised to see how dark it had gotten, and how there were now no people around. "Oh. Of course."

"I'll be back next week, alright?"

"Okay." Tony stood, then held a hand out for Loki, who accepted it without complaint.

"I hope that the rest of your week is better than it has been." Tony squeezed Loki's hand softly before letting go, and as Loki watched Tony walk away he couldn't help but think that it would be. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> People that sleep in socks actually are my pet peeve. Its nasty.


	5. A Hidden Talent

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I mentioned this on Chapter One but if you have read chapters 1-4 in the past you probably did not notice. I reworked the first four chapters, and you should definitely read them before continuing because I changed the layout of the story so what happened previously in chapter four has been pushed back and wont happen until chapter six. Thanks!

It had been a long time since Loki had felt as good as he did on this day. It was not often that their shelter, or any shelter for that matter, got such a large donation of clothing, blankets, food, and shower supplies. For the first time that Loki can even remember, they had enough clothing for everyone in the shelter to choose two new outfits, three blankets, and at least six months’ worth of shampoo and shower gel. Loki even had his own comb now. The food that had been donated had been good too. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, but also canned goods that weren't just cheap brown beans. So, honestly, Loki was doing really well. He doubted that anything, other than Tony not showing up for their meeting, could bring down his mood today.

Luckily, the one thing that could upset him did not come to pass. Right on time, Tony found Loki lounging in the shade of a rather large tree. "Whoa. It looks like you have some new clothes."

"Yes." Loki nodded, trying to look impassive but unable to keep the slight smile from his face, "The shoes are new as well."

"Green is definitely your color."

Loki noticed that, like always, Tony was staring at him quite intently. Today, however, he was not bothered. Since he had new clothes, had taken his first proper shower in months, and brushed his hair, he actually felt as if he was something worth looking at. "It is, isn't it?"

Tony arched an eyebrow, probably because of Loki's lack of disagreement with his earlier statement, but smiled all the same, "Maybe we'll have to get you a green tux someday, little bit of gold accenting. What do you think?"

"I hardly have any destination where I could wear a tux, Anthony." Loki chided, his smile staying firmly in place.

Stark plopped down next to him and waved his hand, "I'll think of something."

Loki rolled his eyes, then prompted, "Ask a question."

"Hmm..." Tony tapped his chin thoughtfully, "What's your favorite Disney movie?"

"Really?" Loki laughed softly, shaking his head, "I would have to say Mulan. I love her determination and strength. She struggles to find out what her place in the world is, but that does not stop her from doing what is right."

"Hell yeah. Mulan is a total bad ass, but I have to say my favorite is Tangled. Probably just because Flynn reminds me of, well, me."

Loki frowned slightly, "I have not seen Tangled."

"What?!" Tony looked completely shocked before nodding suddenly, "Right, right. It's a newer movie, so you probably haven't seen it. It's a new version of Rapunzel."

"I see. And how is 'Flynn' like you?"

"That's your question?" Tony asked, then continued after seeing Loki's nod, "Well. In the beginning, all you really know about him is that he’s a thief, and that he has big dreams. Then you begin to realize that he's a bit of a dick, leaves his thieving companions behind to get arrested, and makes off with the treasure. When he meets Rapunzel, he tries putting the moves on her, all shocked when it doesn't work. So now, we know that he's a womanizing, asshole that only thinks about himself. But, later, you begin to see that it's all an act. A show he puts on because it's what's expected from him, because no one really likes the guy he is underneath the mask. And well, I get that."

Loki glanced over at Tony, who was pointedly looking away, "I like who you are under all the false pretenses."

Tony cracked a small smile, "You're the only one."

A brief moment of silence passed between them before Loki sighed, "We just quoted the movie, didn't we?"

"Pretty much!" The man laughed, looking over at his companion now.

Loki tried to feel annoyed, but couldn't. "Ask your question now."

"Do you have any random talents?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know," Tony gestured vaguely, "Talents."

Loki arched an eyebrow, "No, I do not know."

Groaning, Tony replied, "Like, you can whistle really loud, you're double-jointed, you can sing really well, or yo-yo, or touch your nose with your tongue, or touch your elbow with your tongue, or really, anything with your tongue."

"There is plenty I can do with my tongue and while it may be considered talented in some circles, I will assume that that is not how you meant the question." Loki could see Tony physically struggle to stop himself from saying, ‘Yes that is how I meant the question.' so he smirked slightly before continuing, "But yes. I suppose so. I can sing quite well."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Sing me something."

Loki looked affronted, "I cannot just sing something randomly. I would have to think about it. I would need a song that I knew I could sing."

"Well, what kind of song would that be?"

With a sigh, Loki shook his head, "I do not know. I used to listen to a lot of alternative and indie music. Things like Florence and the Machine, The Script, Quietdrive, and A Rocket to the Moon."

"Sing a song from that one!" Tony exclaimed, leaning in closer to the man beside him.

"A Rocket to the Moon?" Loki asked, surprise in his tone.

"Yes! I love them. Oh, oh! Sing Another Set of Wings!"

To say that Loki was shocked would be an understatement. He would never have guessed that Tony would be a fan of such a band. As far as he knew, they were relatively unheard of, or at the very least, not played on radio stations. Also, the last time he and Tony had met, the man had been wearing an ACDC shirt. To say that the two bands were opposites would be, perhaps, too kind. "The whole thing? Or just a bit?"

"I won't force you to do the whole song." Tony was grinning widely now, "Just whatever you're comfortable with."

Loki wanted to say that he could sing the whole thing without problem, but he suddenly realized that he actually wasn't comfortable with that. In fact, he was quite nervous to sing for Tony. It had never mattered to him what other people thought of his singing voice before, but he worried that Tony would make fun of him, or tell him that he wasn't actually talented at singing after all. However, he had already agreed to sing, so he swallowed his nerves and began, tapping out a soft beat with his fingers, " _I keep staring at your door from down the hallway, tonight I couldn't make it to the room. Looking at our pictures on the fireplace, wishing it was me instead of you. It gets harder everyday but I keep on holding on_."

Loki was glancing anywhere but Tony as he hummed out the beat before going onto the chorus, " _There's an angel, looking out for me. Cause I ain't well, though I try to be. I'm dancing all alone, cause I can hear you sing. I need my angel, like heaven needs another set of wings_."

He planned on stopping there, but when he looked over at Tony, he saw the man has his eyes closed and was smiling slightly. The look on his face was enough to encourage Loki to continue, " _Lately I just keep my windows open, hoping I might feel you in the wind. Time heals all, but somehow I'm still broken, cause parts of me ain't ever gonna mend. There's an angel looking out for me, cause I ain't well, though I try to be. I'm dancing all alone, cause I can hear you sing. I need my angel, like heaven needs another set of wings._ "

Tony's eyes started to open, so Loki averted his quickly while he hummed softly, " _I'm still missin' you. I'm still missin' you. There's an angel, looking out for me, cause I ain't well, though I try to be. I'm dancing all alone, cause I can hear you sing. I need my angel. There's an angel looking out for me, cause I ain't well, though I try to be. I'm dancing all alone, cause I can hear you sing. I need my angel, like heaven needs another set of wings_."

There was a single beat of silence before Tony spoke, "That was really beautiful."

Loki swallowed slightly, still nervous that perhaps Tony was lying, "It would have sounded better if I had the tune to sing along with. Acapella was never my specialty."

"Loki, seriously. That was really good. You could make music and become famous with that voice."

Surprised, Loki glanced over at Tony's face to find that he was being completely earnest, "I don't know about that."

"You could! Maybe someday I'll set something up for you to record a song or something. You could do a cover, or write one. It would be awesome."

Loki couldn't help but think that this was the third thing that Tony had said they should do in the future. It was strange, because he knew that Tony wouldn't be saying it unless he believed it, and because it meant that Tony had every intention of their friendship lasting much longer. It was odd for him to know that someone actually wanted to stick around, but nice too. "One day, perhaps."

Tony beamed at his companion before glancing at his watch, "Well. It's that time again."

"I suppose it is." Loki's reply was rather reluctant.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll be back next week."

"Of course."

With another bright smile, Tony stood up and departed, leaving Loki with both a song and an image of the future on his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're guessing that the donation was from Tony, you're right c;  
> And Mulan and Tangled actually are my favorite Disney movies!


	6. The Abandoned Station

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So from now on I will be updating once a week on Sunday evenings

Loki sat on the side of the fountain cross-legged, attempting to look as if he had a purpose to be there. Of course, he actually had one but very few people seemed to believe that it was anything other than begging. Their glances and glares annoyed him to no end, and they made him wish that Stark would hurry up and find him.

As if on cue, the short man took a seat on the edge of the fountain beside Loki, "Hello there."

"Hello." Loki replied as if he was indifferent to the man's appearance, even though he was glad to see him.

"I have a question for you today." Tony began, then paused, looking to Loki for a response.

Loki raised an eyebrow, "And what would that be, Anthony?"

"Have you lived in New York for a long time?" Tony smiled, hiding some sort of secret behind his eyes.

Loki shook his head, "No. I lived elsewhere in the state, I came here shortly after I was kicked out, hoping I could survive here better than the more rural town my parents live in."

"Awesome! Then you hardly know anything about the city, and I doubt that you have found out about all the secrets here." The man was practically glowing as he spoke.

"This is true..." Loki trailed off quietly, "Why does it matter?"

Tony was up on his feet, extending a hand to the man who was still sitting. "I have a place that I would like to take you today."

Loki was at a loss for words for a moment. He had never thought that Tony would be willing to be seen in public (or at least more public than the park) with him. While they had officially decided that they were now friends, they still had not known each other for very long, and, in the eyes of others, were practically strangers. Confusion etched into his features, Loki finally spoke, "I do not understand."

"Why? What don't you understand?"

After a moment of hesitation, Loki replied, "I do not understand why you would want to go somewhere with me. I thought that this relationship was simply casual."

"Oh!" Tony shook his head, smiling, "I don't mean this as a date. We're friends, right? And, well, friends hang out. Also, I thought that we needed a change of scenery. I know it sounds kind of weird but I promise you will enjoy this. It's the kind of place you have to love."

After a long moment, Loki graciously accepted the hand that Tony was still holding out for him. The shorter man pulled him to his feet then let go of his hand. Loki subtly brushed his hands across the back of his pants and smoothed out his old shirt. "Are you going to tell me where this is place is?"

"It wouldn't be fun if you knew that!"

With a soft chuckle, Loki followed the other man out of the park. The two of them walked with little distance between them, and at a surprisingly similar pace. Tony walked quickly enough that he could easily keep up with Loki's long strides. It was strange for Loki to be so close to someone who seemed to fit so well with him. He was unused to being near others who did not find him repulsive, and despite the comfort between them, Loki still felt on edge.

The two of them waited at a crosswalk for what felt like a century, until the light finally changed and they sprinted across the walkway. Tony turned suddenly, reaching out to grab Loki's arm so they would not be separated. He held on to Loki's arm even after they had turned, his grip was gentle and for some reason the taller of the two allowed it. He justified this as being because he did not know where they were going and did not want to get lost.

Tony led Loki down a flight of stairs toward the subway. Loki arched an eyebrow at the man, who smiled widely. "Trust me, Lokes."

Frowning at the nickname, Loki simply nodded.

The station was oddly deserted. There were very few people around, and when they approached the ticket window, the man there smiled at Anthony as if he was an old friend, "Hello, Mr. Stark. You are a little early."

"Yes. It was easier to convince my friend here than I thought it would be."

Loki felt horribly self-conscious as the man turned to look him over, but the stranger's face gave no indication that he was appalled by his appearance. In fact, the man seemed delighted to see Loki. "Fantastic! Go ahead and go through the second turnstile, the train will be here in five minutes."

Tony was smiling again, "Thank you so much, Henry. I owe you one, alright?"

"I will collect on that, Mr. Stark!" Henry replied with a laugh as the two of them passed through the turnstile.

"Who was that?" Loki questioned as they approached the waiting area for the train.

"He's a family friend of mine." Tony shrugged, "He has been running this station for a long time, helped my dad out a lot when he had to travel via subway. I've helped his family out a few times during the years because he was always kind to me, sort of like a grandfather. So when I asked him for the favor he made it happen for me."

Loki looked at the shorter man to his left. In their time together he had never really thought about Tony's standing in society. He had made it obvious that he was someone important, but Loki hardly remembered that fact when they were joking around and having deep conversations. It was strange for Loki to think that Tony was actually a man of not only wealth, but power.

"Anthony-" Loki began right as the train began to pull into the station.

"Come on!" Tony grinned, "This is ours."

Sighing softly, Loki let his question drop, and boarded the train with the other man. 

They sat down beside one another, and the train pulled out of the station. In the few times that Loki had taken the subway, it had always been full of people. "This is odd." Loki spoke, "Being the only ones on the train."

"I know. Having connections is definitely a perk. It would suck to have to be pressed up against some old sweaty guy."

Loki smiled a little, and looked up at the stops the train made before questioning, "The Brooklyn Bridge? Why are we going there?"

"We aren't." Tony was grinning again, his eyes gleaming in the lighted tunnel.

"That is the last stop, Anthony. The only stop after this one." Loki was frowning now, obviously confused.

Tony squeezed Loki's hand (when did that happen?) and smiled, impossibly, wider, "Trust me."

"I do." The words stumbled out before Loki could stop them, but the look in Tony's eyes made the awkwardness he felt worth it.

The Brooklyn Bridge stop flew by, and yet the train still continued on. The train began to slow about three minutes past the supposed last stop. Loki was surprised when the train pulled to a stop at another train station. "Last stop, Mr. Stark."

Tony chuckled and stood up, pulling Loki with him as the doors opened up. The two stepped onto the platform and Loki was struck with the beauty of the station. It looked nothing like any other station that he had ever seen, either in New York or elsewhere.

Loki's eyes darted about the room, staring at the amazingly built architecture and colors that made up the station. It looked like something straight out of a work of fiction, so quiet and majestic. There was a magical sort of air about the place, the stained glass-like ceiling shimmered as if it was a night sky. The arches had cascades of yellow flowing along them. Even the dust that hung stale in the air seemed to be something that was important and demanded attention.

When Loki finally came to his senses, he realized that the train they had taken here had left. Tony saw his gaze and spoke, "He'll be back in a few hours."

For some reason, Loki hardly cared. He did not want to leave this place in a few hours, or even in a few days. This was the kind of beauty he was hoping to find in New York. It was something so private and secretive that he had to know that he was the only one the other man had brought here. 

"Yes, you are." Tony replied, and Loki turned to him, confusion on his face. The man was smiling, "You said that out loud."

Loki felt a flash of hot embarrassment, and mumbled an apology.

"Don't apologize. It is a really private thing. Especially for me." Tony hesitated for a moment, "You know how my mother died when I was young and that my dad turned into a huge dick afterwards, not that he wasn't before, but he was way worse. He drank a lot too. So, I developed the habit of running off. I found a lot of cool things in the city, but this was my favorite."

Tony pulled Loki with them as he began walking down the station. "How did you find it?" Loki questioned.

"Ah." Tony was quiet, his smile faded, "I was walking down the railroad tracks. I found a couple ways into the subway and I was feeling... Particularly down this day. I hadn't realized where I had entered in, I was so upset. I walked until I got here, and I was more than surprised. I spent a few hours investigating. Until I heard the train. I hid while it turned around, then I walked back to where I came into the tunnels at. I came here a lot after that, but I haven't been recently. I'm too much of a public figure. I didn't want too many other people to find this place."

Loki was silent now. He was having a hard time understand why Tony would share this place with him. It was so important, so intimate to the man. Why would he share it with someone he was barely friends with? As badly as Loki wanted to ask this question, he did not. Instead, he asked, "Do you know why this place is here and not used?"

The smile came back, and Tony nodded, "Yeah! Of course. It was originally supposed to be the southern terminus of the first Manhattan Main Line. But in 1945 the station was closed and boarded up. They did that because with the length of trains now, they just can't safely fit in that turn. They were concerned about raised subway deaths. So now passengers are forced off at the Brooklyn Bridge Stop and they only use this station as a turnaround."

Loki was nodding, "That's very interesting."

"Yeah. Come here, this is the best part!" 

The taller man had to laugh. Tony's words were said as if Loki really had a choice in the matter. Anthony pulled him down one of the darker tunnels, and Loki was surprised at the blank grey concrete walls that they were greeted with. The station had been so beautiful, so how could this be the best part?

"Oh." Loki said aloud as they reached a part of the passage that was more lighted.

There were paintings all along the walls. Another part of Loki's mind tried to tell him that they were not paintings, they were graffiti. However, most of him recognized that these were not just random sprayings or gang names. They were something more than that.

There was one that was a heavily detailed image of two rats crawling over one another. They were built with greys and whites, and looked as if they were real, gigantic, animals.

Tony was quiet as they walked along the tunnel, just a solid presence at his side. Loki stopped to look at another image. This one was a turquoise skull with large teeth and antlers. Just like the other paintings, it was hyper-realistic. The shading made the skull appear three dimensional. After staring at the skull for a long moment, Loki turned his attention to another painting. This was a large, winding koi fish that was a collection of oranges and yellows. It looked as if it was swimming upwards on its background of crashing waves. 

The pair continued down the make-shift art gallery, with Loki stopping to look at the paintings. There was a black man who was pictured with a glowing golden light around his head. Loki wondered if he was some sort of god or angel. There was another painting which was a profile of a mint colored lion. His mane was colored with blues and purples and other green colors. It was wild, and looked like something untamed to Loki. Another painting was of the words 'We Own the Night'. The words were white with a bold black outlining them. It was surrounded by color and stars. 

At the end of the hall, rested the last image. It was of two strange human like figures buried to their knees in a dusty colored sand. They both had abnormally long arms and were holding an hour glass that had almost run out of time. One of the figures had a heart shaped hole in its chest. They were black and white with intricate patterns lining their bodies. They also each had a small square of red on their arms. In the upper right corner of the painting was a small paragraph of text. Loki read it aloud, "And when we follow the cracks in the busted pavement like one would a map, or a constellation of stars; there are secret hearts speaking minor symphonies."

Tony spoke for the first time since they entered the passage, "You made that sound very beautiful."

Loki's face heated slightly, "Thank you."

The two of them stood there for a long, silent moment, before simultaneously turning and walking back the way they came. When they finally returned to the station, the train was already there waiting for them. Loki found it hard to believe that they had actually been here for over two hours.

They boarded the subway and rode it back to the station in which they had first entered the system on. As they made their way to the exit, Tony waved to Henry, smiling widely. 

Tony walked Loki back to the outside of the park where they usually held their meetings, and shuffled his feet awkwardly, "Did you have fun?"

"Yes, I did. Thank you." Loki was smiling very slightly.

"Would you like to do something like this again next week?"

Loki's smile widened a little bit more, "I would like that, yes."

Tony grinned at the other man, "Great! I have so many ideas. This is gonna be awesome. I will see you then?"

"Of course. I will be waiting," Loki paused dramatically, "Somewhere."

Tony laughed and reached out to gently squeeze Loki's forearm, "Okay. Until then."

Loki nodded, and after another long moment, Tony turned and disappeared into a crowd of people on his way home.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The place in this chapter is real! Check it out here: http://www.travelettes.net/new-york-city%E2%80%99s-hidden-subway-station/  
> (Keep in mind it is not actually possible to visit this place, it is highly illegal and you will most likely be arrested.)


	7. Can You Spot the Lie?

"We're going to take a cab today." Tony announced, smiling at Loki.

Loki arched an eyebrow and looked up at the man from his place on the edge of the sidewalk. Tony was wearing a hat, pulled down low on his head, and sun glasses that obscured much of his face. He was wearing jeans and a band tee shirt again, and he looked surprisingly normal for such an attractive person. "Are we?"

"Yes. That's why I am wearing this get up. I don't want anyone to recognize me."

"If you're so famous, why don't you have a driver?"

Tony frowned at Loki, "Well, I do. But if we're going to be having an authentic New York experience we should be taking a cab."

Loki shook his head, but smiled slightly as he stood, "Okay, okay. Lead the way."

With another smile, Tony turned around and walked off down the path toward the closest road. Loki followed him for a moment, before decided that he would much rather be at the other man's side than behind him (though the jeans did make Tony's ass look nice). Once more, their paces matched up perfectly, and Loki was still surprised by that fact.

When they reached the road, Tony waved down a taxi, in under five minutes which was very impressive, and the pair entered the car before Tony spoke to the driver, "58 Joralemon Street, please."

"In Brooklyn Heights?" The cabbie's voice was gruff.

"That's the one!"

Loki noticed that Tony was attempting the lower his voice as well and questioned, "What are you doing that for?"

Tony glanced over at the man beside him before mumbling lowly, "My voice is pretty easy to recognize. At least, if you watch any TV it is."

Arching an eyebrow, Loki nodded in response to this. Once again he was struck by how well known Tony had to be. It was possible to know it was him just from his voice? How often was he on television that such a thing would be possible? Loki, however, kept these questions to himself as he had before, and the two of them rode in silence before the cab driver pulled up to their destination.

Before the man could tell Tony the charge, he thrust a bunch of random bills through the little window and said, "Keep the change!" before pushing Loki out of the cab and following himself.

Loki looked around at their destination with a frown. He did not see anything special about the place. It looked to be just a regular residential area, until he looked closer at some of the buildings in front of him. He was unsure what it was about the buildings, but it seemed to him that something was off. The town-homes were all three stories high, all had the exact same color red and same tan door, except for one right in the middle. The red was much darker, the door black, and unlike the other houses on the street, its windows were completed blacked out. Before Loki could ask about it, Tony spoke, "You spotted it, huh?"

"I am not sure what I have 'spotted' but there is something almost wrong with this home here." Loki pointed to the building.

Tony smiled, "You're right. Lots of people walk past here every day, and they never see it. Maybe they notice the different coloring, but they don't think anything of it. But it feels wrong, doesn't it? Out of place? So many people never spot the lie."

"Which is?" Loki glanced at Tony now.

"There is no home here. It's not really a building at all. It’s completely hollow. It's a ventilator for the subway, and an emergency exit."

Loki looked at the building again before speaking, "There is something like this is London as well."

"Really?"

With a nod, Loki replied, "Yes. In Leinster Gardens. The building there all have front doors, windows, balconies, but some are not houses. They have a small hall like room inside, but they are just a front for the trains that pass nearby."

Tony smiled, "I'll have to go see them some day. I really like this building because it reminds me of me. If you couldn't tell, I like things that remind me of me."

"How does it remind you of you?"

"It looks perfect on the outside, it blends in with the building around it, and no one really notices that it's actually different. They see it one way, and that's just how it is in their world. But reality is different. Reality is that this is just a big secret, a front, so no one sees what's really going on here." Tony paused a moment before adding, "Like how I relate to Flynn. It's a face that people view because it makes sense and it's easy to understand, even though under it all, it's really something different."

Loki nodded slightly, "I understand what you mean."

"Good, because I really felt like I was rambling there."

"Oh, you were. I just understood it."

Tony's face split into a grin at that, "You're a dick. Come on, let's go."

"Where are we going now?" Loki asked as Tony gently gripped his forearm and pulled him along.

"Remember last week how you asked if we were going to the Brooklyn Bridge? Well, now we are."

Loki rolled his eyes, "How far is that from here?"

"The bridge is a little under two miles from here, and the spot we want is about three. It shouldn't be more than a forty five minute walk."

"That sounds fine to me. Would you like to ask questions on the way?" Loki asked.

"You know I would." Tony grinned, "It's totally my turn now though. So, are you the type to ask permission first, or apologize after?"

Loki smiled ruefully, "I am not sure if I am either. When I lived with my family, I would never ask for permission for I knew that it would not be granted. I usually just did whatever I wanted, and on the occasions that I did get caught, I only apologized if I really had too, not because I felt poorly about what I had done. I was never the type to do anything very bad, but I did sneak out a lot, played a lot of pranks."

"That doesn't surprise me at all. I can totally see you pranking the crap out of your brother, probably your dad too."

"Oh yes. I would get in such trouble for the ones I pulled on my father, but usually I was able to talk my way out of it. All of my brother's friends called me Silver Tongue. I think it is the only reason they pretended to like me. I could get them out of any mess they got into."

Tony smirked at Loki, "Is that the only reason they called you that?"

Loki looked at Tony with an exasperated expression, "I have never used my tongue in the manner of which you are thinking with any of my brother's friends. I would sooner cut it out than do so."

The man just laughed at Loki's words before saying, "Go ahead and ask your question."

"This may sound quite out of the blue but, what Jeopardy! category could you clear without a problem?"

If Tony thought the question was random, he said nothing about it, "Oh god, probably all of them? I would definitely be great at anything related to Mathematics, Science, Technology or History. I might not be so good at something like Art though. Believe it or not, but I'm actually a genius. I created my own AI in college, his name is Jarvis by the way, and have created some robots too. I retain information very well, though it can be pretty jumbled and inaccessible at times, it is there."

"You created an artificial intelligence?"

"Yes. Would you like to say hi?"

Before Loki could reply, Tony had pulled out his cell phone and spoke, "Hey, Jarvis. Say hi to Loki."

"Hello, Loki." A posh British voice spoke from the phone.

Somewhat awkwardly, Loki replied, "Hello, Jarvis. Does that stand for anything?"

The question had been directed at Tony, but the AI answered it, "Sir created the acronym Jarvis after the phrase Just a Rather Very Intelligent System."

"That is not very proper English." Loki replied with a frown.

"I believe that you may have noticed that Sir does not always speak proper English." Came the snarky reply.

A laugh startled out of Loki as Tony spoke, "Hey, Jarvis. That isn't very nice."

"Neither are the things that you say when you are working, Mr. Stark." The AI responded.

"I rather like Jarvis." Loki grinned, "He seems to keep you in check."

The AI's tone took on a suffering note, "I do try, Master Loki."

"That's enough of you two ganging up on me." Tony grumbled as he shut his phone off and tucked it back into his pocket.

Loki was still smiling, "If you did not want him to back talk you, why program him that way?"

Tony shook his head, "I didn't! I don't think I did at least. He just developed sass all on his own. Sometimes I wonder if he's going to take over the world, but then I remember that he is, usually, too polite to do something like that."

Before replying, Loki looked around them and realized that they had already made it across the Brooklyn Bridge. It was strange to him that he was able to get so lost in his conversations with Tony that he hardly even noticed his surroundings. "How much further are we?"

"Right up there is where we want." Tony pointed to their left where the entrance ramp from lower Manhattan was. Now that they were closer, Loki could see that there was a man leaning against the stone, looking like he was waiting for something.

Once they approached the spot Tony had indicated, the man proved Loki to be right by speaking, "Hello, Mr. Stark. My name is Tom Doyle, I'll be letting you into the Shelter tonight."

"Hello, Tom. Please, lead the way." Tony smiled at the man.

Tom turned and walked down a flight of stairs, leaving Tony and Loki to follow. Loki couldn't help but notice how their guide kept peeking over his shoulder at Tony. It made Loki slightly irritable, and oddly possessive. They followed the path beyond the stairs for a little while before turning and walking underneath the ramp. They walked a ways more before stopping at a sort of door in the bridge. "Here we are, sir. I was instructed to ask you to please not touch anything, and to keep the location of the shelter a secret."

"That won't be a problem." Tony waved his hand dismissively, and the man nodded once before unlocking the door with a key from his chain.

"Please enjoy yourselves." He spoke before stepping aside to let Tony and Loki in.

Once they had gotten inside they followed a hall way down to a large metal door. Tony opened it, and when they stepped into the room, Loki was taken aback. While he had heard the man refer to this as a shelter, he was not expecting to find himself in a bomb shelter. The room was stockpiled with what appeared to be decades-old military provisions for surviving a nuclear bomb attack. There were boxes and boxes of blankets, medicine, and food. As well as many supply containers of water. The boxes had stamps on them that showed dates from 1957 through 1962, which indicated to Loki that this shelter had been operational during the Cold War. "Wow."

From his right, Tony spoke, a smile in his voice, "Wow indeed. Not many people even know this is here. At least 150,000 people cross this bridge every day, and they are all oblivious to the fact that there is a big piece of history beneath their feet, or cars, whatever."

"It is incredible."

"The room was sealed up after the war and forgotten about until the '80s. Since then it's been a pretty well guarded secret, some people may know that it exists, but not where. Mostly for security reasons, the actual where abouts of this place are kept from the public. So, you and I are some of the only civilians that have been in the bunker since it was made decades ago."

Loki looked around the large room and just shook his head slowly at the thought. It had been many years since he had considered himself to be privileged, but when he was with Tony, he felt that way. He was getting to do many things that he had never done before, that most people would never get a chance to do. He couldn't help but be thankful. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"Don't worry about it. I have wanted to go for a while, but never really had a reason. I thought you might like it and that was enough. I mean, I only made a few calls, pulled a few strings... You know." Tony's tone tried to play off that it was no big deal, but Loki could tell that he was glad that Loki was enjoying himself.

"Do you know if there are any more shelters like this within the bridge?"

Tony shook his head, "No. There are other rooms however. There are eight of them. They have, obviously, brick walls and 50 foot high ceilings. They're really impressive. They used to be used for music, and theater performances and art exhibits. They used the rooms for about 20 years, but they were closed down after 9/11. It was another security thing. They are all located in the base of the bridge, and I suppose they were afraid of someone blowing up the bridge. As far as I know, they won't be opening up for the public any time soon. I could probably get us in there though, if you wanted."

"No, that is alright." Loki replied quickly before adding, "Not that I am not interested, I just think this is enough for now."

"Okay, Lokes." Tony agreed cheerily, and Loki found, to his relief, that there was no sound of disappointment in his voice.

Loki looked around again before speaking, "How are you going to top this one?"

"I don't know." Tony laughed, "I might have to think about it for a while. I know what we’re going to do next week though."

"Do you now?"

Tony smiled, looked down at his watch and gestured for Loki to follow him as he began walking back the way they have come, "Yes. I do."

"And what is that?"

Tony laughed, "I don't have to answer that because it isn't your turn to ask a question!"

Loki sighed deeply and just shook his head at the man beside him. "You are such a child."

They exited the bridge to find Tom leaning against the wall waiting for them. He locked the door and then led them back up to the top of the bridge, and pointed them toward a road they could find a cab on. Before they could turn to leave however, Tom cleared his throat awkwardly and said, "Mr. Stark, if I may, could I please get your autograph?"

Loki blinked in surprise as Tony nodded, "Sure thing. Got anything for me to sign?"

Tom nodded excitedly, pulling a square note-card and pen from his pocket. Loki could not help but think that he had brought it along just for this reason. Tony seemed to think so as well, but instead of saying anything, he just smiled widely and wrote a quick note on the card before signing it lavishly and handing it back, "Here you go. Thanks for letting us into the bunker. Have a nice night."

"You too!" Tom's tone was very cheerful now and he waved at them as they walked away.

"That happen often?" Loki asked once they were out of ear shot.

Tony rolled his eyes, but was still smiling, "More often than I would like. I'm not the type to just refuse though. At least I'm not anymore."

Once again, Tony easily hailed a cab, which they climbed into. Tony asked the drive to drop them by Central Park. Just like before, they rode in silence before the cab pulled up to the park, where Tony spoke again, "Just one second, okay?"

They got out of the cab, which idled on the street, "I have to get going, but we'll meet again next week. But it has to be a little earlier than normal for what I want to do. Can you meet at five?"

Loki arched a brow, "I can."

"Good. Uh, hide yourself in the south side of the park, okay?"

"It would be an advantage if you knew I was going to be there." Loki pointed out, smiling slightly.

"Yes, but we only have a limited window for this thing so I have to be able to find you quickly and get over to where we need to go."

"Okay. I will be there." Loki agreed.

Tony smiled, "Great. I'll see you then."

The man got back into the cab, spoke an address quietly to the driver and waved out the window as they pulled away. Loki waved back until the cab was out of sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am the worst human being alive omg. D:
> 
> Also, real places. Here is a link about Joralemon St: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/58_Joralemon_Street  
> And here's Leinster Gardens: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leinster_Gardens  
> Lastly, the bomb shelters: https://roadtrippers.com/stories/theres-a-secret-cold-war-bunker-hidden-inside-the-brooklyn-bridge?lat=40.83044&lng=-96.70166&z=5


	8. Sarabeth's

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning: There is a small spoiler for a book entitled When She Woke in this chapter. I say small because if you read the book you find out about this in the very first chapter.

Keeping in mind what Tony had said at their last meeting, Loki sat himself on a bench on the main path in the south side of the park. He had only been sitting there for perhaps five minutes when Tony appeared, "Hello, gorgeous."

Loki arched a brow at Tony's choice of adjective but did not protest. He was still feeling rather good about himself since he was actually clean and his newer clothing was still nice, "Hello, Anthony."

"Will you ever call me Tony?" The man groaned.

"I will call you that when you stop acting like a child."

Tony sighed as Loki stood, "So that's a never."

The black haired man smiled, "I'm ready whenever you are."

"Just let me mope for another minute." Tony paused for a few seconds then spoke again, "Okay. I'm good. Let's go."

Loki simply chuckled softly and took up pace beside his companion, "Were you aware that we have been having these little meetings for two months now?"

"Have we really? I'm bad at remembering dates. It always pissed off my partners." Tony frowned.

"I usually am too, but having a regular meeting is forcing me to remember a schedule, so that is why I remembered."

Tony grinned, "Well, it's a good thing I picked out this place to go to today. We can celebrate our two months!"

Loki frowned in response to Tony's smile, "You make it sound as if we are dating."

"Oh please. I just meant two months of friendship." Tony replied, his tone suspiciously innocent.

"Of course you did." Loki replied.

Tony laughed and they continued walking until they reached the edge of the park. Across the street were small stone buildings, one of which had a banner that read Sarabeth's. The store had large windows in the front, outdoor seating, and smartly cut bushes in front. Loki arched an eyebrow, "A restaurant?"

"Yep! I know the owner, so she said that she would be willing the serve us breakfast later in the day, because I told her that you had to try the pancakes and we couldn't get here until now. She said that as long as I was here before six she would do it." Tony grinned and grabbed onto Loki's hand, pulling him across the street and into the restaurant.

The inside of the place was bright and well furnished. Loki thought that the pricing had to be on the higher end because of how nice everything looked, but he couldn't be sure without seeing a menu. Tony went up to the counter, and called out "Your favorite customer is here now."

Loki glanced around, and noticed that very few people were inside, and those that were had been seated far enough away that they could not easily hear them or make out their facial features. Loki couldn't help but wonder if this had been done on purpose, but before he could say anything a woman's voice spoke, "What makes you think that you're my favorite?"

"Oh, honey. You wound me." Tony smiled, leaning over the counter and kissing the woman's cheek.

Loki once more felt a flare of possessiveness rise up in him, but he stuffed it down quickly as the tall, blonde looked over at him, "Hello. You must be the friend."

"I am." Loki's voice held a slight challenging tone, as if he was daring her to say something against it.

She looked at him for another moment before smiling brightly. Loki could see wrinkles in the corners of her blue eyes, and realized that she was definitely more the motherly type than the past one-night stand/girlfriend type, "Nice to meet you. You probably guessed, but I'm Sarabeth."

Her hand reached over the counter and instead of shaking it, Loki took it and gently pressed his lips to the back of it. "A pleasure. My name is Loki, your establishment is quite beautiful."

She blinked as she pulled her hand back, then smiled even wider, "Oh, I like you. You are very polite. How did you end up mixed up with this brat?"

Loki smiled at her, "An unfortunate turn of events where I was too kind to turn him away."

"Oh, I believe that." She laughed.

"Hey, hey. Who are you all of a sudden? You're never this likeable!" Tony accused, glaring at Loki.

"Anthony Edward Stark you be nice to this young man." She chided, her tone disapproving.

He glanced over at her with his mouth open, "But he's not!"

"I don't want to hear it. I know you have better manners than that."

He grumbled under his breath before nodding at Sarabeth.

"Good!" She smiled brightly again, looking over at Loki, "Now, what can I get you two?"

"I was told that your pancakes were a must have," Loki replied, "So I think we'll have to go with those."

"What sort were you thinking, dear?"

Tony spoke before Loki could, "The lemon-ricotta pancakes, and can we get the toasted coconut waffles too?"

She narrowed her eyes at Tony before looking at Loki for confirmation that this was alright. Once he had nodded, she smiled again, "Alright, dear. I know you want coffee, Tony. What can I get for you, Loki?"

"I would love tea if you have it."

"Of course I do! Now, you two go sit down and the food will be right up for you!" She smiled once more before disappearing back into the kitchen.

"Come on." Tony gestured for Loki to follow him, and they moved to sit at the table in the corner by the front window. Loki slid into the side against the wall, and Tony took the car opposite him.

"Do you know everyone?"

Tony smiled, "Mostly. I have connections everywhere because of my money, but I know Sarabeth personally. Believe it or not, but she used to babysit me. I know, she doesn't look old enough to have done, but she did. She was in culinary school when she started watching me. My dad pretty much put her through school. It was after my mother died, so she kind of became a motherly figure in my life. We stayed in touch, and I helped her open up her first restaurant, but lately she doesn't need my help at all. She's doing really well, she has more locations throughout the city, but this one is her favorite."

Loki nodded as a young waitress brought over their drinks. She set a cup of black coffee in front of Tony, then set a cup of tea, as well as a small dish with milk and sugar on it, in front of Loki before disappearing. Loki splashed a bit of the milk in his tea before dropping a sugar cube in it and swirling it slightly with a spoon.

"I thought you didn't take sugar?"

Loki shrugged, "Not usually. I have to be able to add it myself, otherwise I may get too much or not enough. There is a science about it."

Arching an eyebrow Tony answered, "Oh really?"

"Really. Now ask a question while we wait."

Tony tapped his chin, looking out the window, for a moment before asking, "What was the last book you really loved?"

Loki frowned, unlike many other things he had to give up, he was still able to read as there were many books at the shelter. "Hm... I would have to say When She Woke."

"What was it about?"

The black haired man considered telling Tony that he didn't have to answer that because he didn't get two questions in a row, but he really did want to talk about the book. "It's about a society where there is no separation between church and state. So all the things that the bible is against are outlawed. Things like homosexual relationships, abortion, working on a Sunday, worshipping other gods, ECT. Women are forced into traditional roles while men hold all the power. If you break the law, instead of going to jail or prison, you get chromed. Which means that they dye your skin to match the severity of your crime. Afterwards, they release you back into society, where you have to survive the best you can while everyone knows you have sinned/broken a law. The main character is chromed to be a Red, which means that her crime is murder. It just follows her experiences after the chroming, what it's like trying to live, and how she comes to realize the flaws in their society."

"That sounds really interesting." Tony leaned closer, "Who did she kill?"

"Well, she didn't actually kill anyone. She had an abortion."

Tony nodded, "Right, and something like that would be considered murder in their society."

"Some think of it that way in ours." Loki replied.

Tony looked like he wanted to say more, but the waitress was back with their food. She set the plate of pancakes down in front of Loki, and the waffles in front of Tony before departing once more. Loki had to say that the food looked amazing. There were fresh blackberries on his pancakes, and Tony had fresh mango and some kind of butter on his waffles. "Hey, do you want me to cut this in half so you can try it?"

"Only if you take half of mine."

The man opened his mouth to argue, but closed it at the look on Loki's face, "Okay, okay. Gimmie."

Loki handed his plate to Tony and watched as the man cut them in half and flipped them before handing it back. Loki picked up his knife and fork and cut the pancakes and waffles carefully before taking a bite of the pancake. "Oh god." He couldn't stop himself from blurting out, "They are really good."

Tony smiled widely, "I knew you would like them!"

He wanted to try and eat them slowly, but he couldn't stop himself from scarfing the pancakes down. He felt like he was a dying man and this was his last meal. Tony did not say anything about it, for which Loki was rather glad. Once the pancakes were gone he tried the waffles and found them to be delicious as well. "Is this a vanilla rum butter?"

"Wow. Good guess, it is."

Loki smiled, "I have a pretty sensitive palate. I can distinguish most flavors, as long as I have had them before."

They fell back into a comfortable silence as they finished their food, Loki eating much slower now. Once their plates were cleared Tony spoke, "So, you liked everything?"

"Of course. I can see why she is doing so well, with food this amazing."

"Aren't you sweet?" Sarabeth spoke as she slid in to the chair at the next table over, "I put a lot of love into those recipes. It's not just about mixing ingredients together, it's more than that, you know?"

"I do." Loki replied, turning slightly so he was facing her.

She smiled widely, "Has Tony been nicer to you?"

Before Tony could open his mouth Loki replied, "Yes. He is normally quite kind to me, for reasons I cannot fathom."

"It's probably because you're so damn good-looking."

Now Tony replied before Loki could open his mouth, "Hey! That's not the only reason."

"Sure it's not. I bet that's why you talked to him in the first place, isn't it?"

"Well..." Tony replied sheepishly.

Loki smiled slightly as the two spoke. He felt oddly comfortable at the moment, something that did not happen often. Even though this restaurant was much too nice for him, and his companions were much higher in social class, he didn't feel excluded. In fact, he felt like he belonged here. That thought made him both happy, and set him on edge. While it was a nice feeling, he knew that it couldn't last forever. Eventually something would happen and he would no longer have this friendship with Tony, or the ability to sit in a place like this and be liked. Loki did not want to think about that however, so he shook his head slightly and focused back on the conversation.

"What are you two doing later?"

"Unfortunately for me, I have to be getting back to work. I have some things I need to finish before a business video call with some traders in Hong Kong."

Loki arched a brow at this, it was the most information that he had gotten about what Tony actually did for a living.

"Tony, you work far too much." Sarabeth scolded.

"And so do you. I know what a chef's hours are like, not to mention the fact that you own all the restaurants and have to do all the book work too."

She waved a hand dismissively, "I enjoy it though, so it's not really work. What about you Loki? Anything exciting?"

He cleared his throat awkwardly, "No. Not really. I'm just going to spend some more time in the park."

Sarabeth smiled, "It's lovely this time of year, isn't it? That's why this location is my favorite."

Loki smiled in return right as Tony stood up and said, "I'll go pay. You two be nice while I'm gone."

"You're the only one who has trouble being nice, dear."

Tony stuck his tongue out at her before walking off toward the front. Loki shook his head slightly and sighed, "He is such a child."

"He is." Sarabeth agreed before adding, "Are you two, you know, seeing one another?"

Loki felt heat rise to his cheeks, "No. We are not."

"Huh." She seemed genuinely surprised at this, "I thought you were. Not because you were acting like a couple, but because you weren't."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when Tony is seeing someone, it's usually really over the top. Lots of PDA, pet names, you know, generally making everyone around uncomfortable. The only person I have ever seen him _not_ act that way with was Pepper, his old girlfriend. She was how I realized that the show he puts on when he's with someone is just that, an act to get in their pants. He was serious about Pepper, and well, he's acting with you how he acted with her."

Loki was quiet for a minute before shaking his head, "No. We're just friends, besides, he's straight."

Sarabeth gave him an is-that-what-you-really-think look but didn't say anything about it, "Alright, dear."

Before Loki could say anything else, Tony came back over, "Alright, Lokes. Let's head out."

"You come back soon, Tony. It's been too long. And make sure you bring Loki with you." Sarabeth smiled as he hugged her.

"I will, even if I have to drag him."

Loki rolled his eyes, "As if you would have to do that. Just offer me some more of those pancakes and I will be here."

To his surprise, Sarabeth turned and hugged his tightly after she let go of Tony. It had been a long time since someone had hugged him like this. Once she pulled away she held onto his shoulders, "You take care of yourself, and this trouble maker here."

"Yes, ma'am." Loki replied, smiling softly.

She nodded at him, then let go. Tony and Loki left the restaurant then, waving over their shoulders as they went. The pair crossed the street back to the park before Tony spoke, "Alright. I really do have to get going. I'll see you next week. We can meet at the normal time again."

"That sounds fine with me."

"Great." Tony smiled, then hesitated before gathering Loki up in a hug.

If Loki had been surprised when Sarabeth had hugged him, he was shocked now. For a moment he just stood there stiffly before he slowly returned the gesture. Tony squeezed him tightly once before letting go and looking away awkwardly. "Okay. Bye, Lokes."

"Bye." Loki replied as Tony began walking away. Instead of watching him, Loki also turned and walked back into the park, his mind reeling with the words that Sarabeth had spoken to him, and the embrace that Tony had given.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here is a link to the restaurant: http://sarabethsrestaurants.com/central-park-south/menus/  
> Obviously I don't know anything about the person who owns Sarabeth's but the location is real.  
> Also, here is a link to When She Woke http://www.amazon.com/When-She-Woke-Hillary-Jordan/dp/1565126297  
> It's definitely a favorite of mine! You should read it!


End file.
